Refrigerating apparatus



P 1931- '0. M. SUMMERS 1,822,068

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 28. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ono W I Guam Sept. 8, 1931. o. M. SUMMERS REFHIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zlwoemtoz Sept. 8, 1931. o. M. SUMMERS 1,822,068

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT or lcE OTTO M. SUMMERS, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FBIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ACOBPORATIOQN OF DELAWARE REFRIGEBATING APPARATUS Application filed larch 28, 1929. Serial No. 850,785.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and especially to the cooling means for the refrigerant in said refrigerating apparatus. I

An object of the invention is to provide an eflicient cooling means for a refrigerant.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eflicient condenser in a refrigerant apparatus.

Another object is to prevent warm refrigerant in a condenser heating refrigerant already cooled.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a condenser con.- structed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end View of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a refrigerant supply apparatus with the condenser of Fi 1;

Fig.4 is a top view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the condenser of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is "a cross-section on line 6-6 of '30 Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side'view of the fin die and a fin being formed therein;

Fig. 8 is a crosssection through the fin die Fig. 9 is a front view of the condenser and the process of formation; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of the coupling member to the condenser.

One of the problems of the design of a condenser-is to efliciently cool the heated gas of a compressed refrigerant as it is received from the compressor. It has hitherto been the practice to provide more or less uniform fins throughout the condenser so that all sections of the condenser may be uniformly exposed to the cooling currents of air. Certain easily manufactured types have a direct metallic contact throughout. the condenser. It has been found in these types, however, that the warm refrigerant when condenser. The invention also contemplates forming the condenser in a shape that will use the currents of air most efliciently in a cooling process.

In Fig. 1 is disclosed a condenser formed according to the invention although the substantially oval form disclosed may be more symmetrical and may be made more or less circular if desired. One or more tubes or conduits 11 and 12 are formed into a spiral.

Two such conduits connected in parallel are disclosed in Fig. 1. And so disclosed the shape is what might be termed a spiral pancake condenser in view of the form of its conduits and its thickness in regard to the length of its radii. In between certain of the convolu tions of the spiral is a peculiarly shaped fin formed substantially of alternate U and inverted V shapes. As disclosed in Fig. 7 the fin 13 is formed by means of two dies 19 and 20. These dies form, by any convenient compressing operation on a thin fiat strip 44, a curved portion 23 on the bottom of the U-shaped sections by means of the raised portion 21 of the die 20 and the curved indentation 22 of the die 19. In between these curves 23 are vertical sides 24 and 25 and the inverted V-shaped apex formed by the edge 26 and the sloping sides 27 and 28 formed by the corresponding shapes on the dies as disclosed in Fig. 7. In forming the condenser a connection 10 is connected to one or more of the tubes and this connection is attached to a suitable form 29 as disclosed in Fig. 9. The fin 13 is placed on top of these tubes or conduits with the curved part 23 of the base fitting over the tubes. The tubes and fin are then rolled about the form 29 until a condenser of suitable area has been formed such as that disclosed in Fig. 1. Suitable supports 18 and clamping means 42 are connected thereto.

A coupling member 14 similar to 10 is connected to the outer end of the tube. The condenser is then preferably dip ed in a solder bath formed of suitable uxes although the condenser may be held together in other ways.

In Figs. 3 and 4 are disclosed refrigerating apparatus to which the condenser may be applied, but it is not intended to limit the application of the invention to the particular form of refrigerating apparatus as disclosed. Compressor has a conduit 17 extending close to the condenser and connected thereto by the flare nut 16 and pipe coupling 15 as more fully disclosed in Fig. 10. The inner coupling 10 is connected to a conduit 31 extending to the receiver 32. A conduit 33 extends from the receiver to a cooling unit preferably of the flooded float controlled type such as that disclosed in the patent to R. G. Osborn 1,556,708, issued October 13, 1925. A conduit 34 returns the evaporated refrigerant from such a cooling unit to the compressor. The compressor is run as refrigerant is needed by amotor 35 having the connections 36 suitably attached to an automatic valve and snap switch under the cover 37. The motor is connected to the compressor preferably by the motor pulley 38 and belt 39 extending around the com pressor pulley 10. The compressor pulley has preferably a fan -11 connected and formed therein. In assembly the condenser is first slipped over the compressor shaft 43 before the combined pulley and fan. The condenser is substantially coaxial with the fan and compressor shaft.

Heated refrigerant will come from the compressor to the conduit 17 and connection 14 to the outer convolutions of the condenser. It will be noted that the outer convolution of the tube is spaced from the next inner convolution by the fin 13. Such fin 13 only contacts with such tube by means of a series of edges 26 and hence this edge 26, while it acts as a definite spacing means, make very poor thermal contact with the tube. Hence the heat from the refrigerant will not readily conduct itself through such a fin until it has passed around the next convolution. Upon such passing it will reach the next convolution where the fin will contact with the convolution by the area 23. This curved area 23 being in good thermal contact with the fin will allow the heat of the refrigerant to pass to the body of the fin and hence be more thoroughly exposed to the cooling breezes from the fan 41. It will be noted, for example, in the section of the condenser disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6 that the refrigerant will be cooled as it approaches the center of the spiral. Therefore more heat will be conducted from a conduit through the fin placed on its outer circumference than will be conducted through the inner fins to the cooler refrigerant in the inner convolutions of the condenser. An examination of Fig. 3 will disclose how efficiently the condenser conforms with the shape of the fin and the cool breeze set up by the fan 41 will be efficiently utilized in cooling the convolutions of the condenser. It is obvious that the condenser is not limited to the specific form disclosed. It might, for example, approach a more C11- cular form if desired. The fin may be a wholly continuous one or may be made up in any desired number of sections. In the form illustrated it was desired to place the condenser very close to the motor 35 and accordin ly a section of the fin was removed on the le t hand side and the outer convolution bent in as disclosed at a3 to allow such close placing of the motor. While the condenser is disclosed as being in a vertical position in Figs. 3 and 4, it might be placed in a horizontal or other position with a corresponding change in the position of the fan..

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A substantially spiral pancake condenser for refrigerating apparatus having a single fin between certain convolutions of said spiral.

2. A substantially spiral pancake condenser for refrigerating apparatus having a single continuous fin between certain convolutions of said spiral.

3. A refrigerating condenser having a spiral tube and a fin between certain-convolutions of said spiral, said fin having an edge contact with one convolution and an are contact withan adjacent convolution.

4. A refrigerating condenser having a spiral tube and a fin between certain convolutions of said spiral, said fin having an edge contact with an outer convolution and an are contact with an adjacent inner convolution. I

5. Acondenser including a long continuous conduit bent into a serpentine coil having a plurality of adjacent sections, said condenser having an inlet near one end of said long continuous conduit and an outlet near the other end of said long continuous conduit, spacing means between adjacent sections of said conduit, said spacing means comprising a fin structure, said fin structure having a substantially slight contact with the section of the conduit nearest the inlet and a substantially greater contact with the section nearest the outlet.

6. A condenser including a long continuous conduit bent into a serpentine coil having a plurality of adjacent sections, said condenser having an inlet near one end of said long continuous conduit and an outlet near the other end of said longcontinuous conduit,-spacing means between adjacent sections'of said conduit, said spacing means comprising a fin structure, said fin structure having an edge contact with the section of the cond 't nearest the inlet and an arcuate contact with the section of the conduit nearest the outlet.

condenser including a long continuous conduit bent into a serpentine coil of spiral formation having a plurality of adjacent-Sections, said condenser having an inlet near one end of said long continuous conduit and an outlet in the other end of said long continuous conduit, and spacing means between adj acent sections of said spiral, said spacing means comprisin a fin structure in a substantially slig t contact with the section of the cond stantially greater contact with the section of the conduit nearest the outlet.

.8. A condenser including a long continuous conduit bent into a serpentine coil of spiral formation having a plurality of ad'acent sections, said condenser having an et near one end of said long continuous conduit and an outlet in the other end of said long continuous conduit, and s acing means between adjacent sectionso said spiral, said spacing means comprising a fin structure having an edge contact with the conduit nearest the inlet and an arcuate contact with the section of the conduit nearest the outlet. 7 t

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my sig nature.

' OTTO. M. SUMMERS.

uit nearest the inlet and a subsection of the 

